This was supposed to be a battle. Instead it's turning into a coronation. Jacob Rodriguez, Miami's 43rd overall pick out of Texas Tech in this year's draft, has done enough in camp that the Dolphins let a starting-caliber veteran walk rather than keep fighting to fit both of them on the field.
We are pleased with where the rookies are at. It is hard to play in this league as a rookie. Jacob (Rodriguez) has earned guys’ trust. There is something to him. - Jeff Hafley, Dolphins
Hafley didn't bury the lede when he talked to reporters Tuesday. "We are pleased with where the rookies are at. It is hard to play in this league as a rookie. Jacob has earned guys' trust. There is something to him," the coach said, via Joe Schad (2094794335950659768). That's not a coach hedging on a rotational piece — that's a coach describing his guy.
It got more concrete a few minutes later. Hafley told reporters that when Rodriguez is on the field, he'll be the one relaying the defensive play-calls from the sideline — a job usually reserved for the guy the staff trusts to have the whole scheme in his head, not someone a few months removed from college.
When Jacob Rodriguez is in there coach Jeff Hafley says he’ll be giving him the calls from here on out so there are ready for the season
That level of trust makes more sense once you look at what Rodriguez actually did at Texas Tech. He set the NCAA record for forced fumbles in a single season with 7 in 2025, the kind of ball-hawking instinct that traces back to his days playing quarterback before he ever moved to defense. Reports out of camp have also described a rookie who's been arriving at the Dolphins facility as early as 5:30 a.m., stretching and getting extra work in before anyone else shows up.
The corresponding move was the release of Tyrel Dodson, who'd been Miami's starting middle linebacker for the past two seasons after the team claimed him off waivers in 2024. Dodson wasn't a placeholder — he put up a career-high 129 tackles, 5 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble in 2025. But he was in the final year of his deal with no guaranteed money left on it, and once Rodriguez made the calls-in-the-huddle role his, Dodson became a cap casualty as much as a roster one.
Panthers sign LB Tyrel Dodson to practice squad. t.co/vI1CSatTYc
Dodson didn't sit long. The Panthers scooped him up for their practice squad within days of his release, a landing spot that keeps him on a roster but a notable step down from the every-down role he had in Miami. For the Dolphins, cutting him loose to make room for a rookie is as clear a signal as a franchise can send about who they believe is the better player right now — not just for this year, but for whoever's calling the defense the next time Miami needs a middle linebacker they can build around.